Importing basses from int'l owners

evanize

New member
Hi,
Has anyone bought second handed basses from other owners internationally?
Was thinking of saving up and get a second handed vintage from TB, but are they trustable? Has anyone gotten any experience or tips?
Thanks!
Sorry if this question has been asked, I can't seem to find it in this forum.
 
Several people here buy and sell on TB (including me).. haven't had a bad deal so far. They're a nice bunch
 
most of them state that they will ship to the CONUS, do they agree to ship to s'pore, or do you get vpost to do the shipping?
 
I don't really have a problem with the shipping.. my brother lives there so I always have an address to send to :)
 
lol then why don't you get your bro to help softies ship stuff instead of using vpost? then we can pay you :)
 
Are you guys able to share who on TB you've dealt with before and have had no problems? By no means should other softies take them as highly recommended nor guarantees, but at least it will give those venturing into TB purchases for the first time a little bit more confidence.

Cheers!
 
i bought a bass off TB some time back. all you have to do is pay the seller by Paypal and get him to ship it to you. if he won't do international shipping, then you can get him to send it to the vpost location in the US, where they will receive it and pass it on to you.

my dealings with the guy on TB went without a hitch, he was a real pleasure to deal with. the only problem came from the vpost side. they nearly lost my bass, it was MIA for several weeks.


anyway, the guys on TB are mostly trustworthy, just take a look at their rep if you want to be sure. also, if you must buy from overseas, just take note that there are risks involved. there are many horror stories where people receive basses with snapped necks, caved in knobs etc, all due to negligent handling.

in other words, buy insurance.
 
well everyone has already mentioned the important stuff, the rest you will be able to figure out. just be sure to read TB FAQ and rules. you have a part to play as well.

TB sellers are people, so the conditions of their sales are determined by them, which can be anything, as long as they do not violate TB regulations. so we can only advise in general.

if you want someone to ship to a PO box (vpost is a PO box), do let him know, rather than just telling him it's a US (etc) address. it is common that stores and ebay sellers do not ship to PO boxes, so TB sellers may have similar reasons why they too would not.

sellers tend to be reputable, and usually have an impressive history of transactions and feedback. consider the fact that use of the classifieds is not free, you have to buy a supporting membership to post a thread. on the other hand, it doesn't cost the buyer anything.

if you are a newbie, consider that one may not be confident of dealing with another TBer who has no previous history. when the value of the item is very high (eg. a bass), the risk is even higher. this is on top of any reluctance a seller has to ship outside his country.

my first TB deal was trading AMPS with a guy from australia. he was frank in his feedback that he was unsure because i had no previous history on TB.
 
one more tip:

for paypal, if you have doubts over sending money, ask that the other party send a payment request instead. in fact, it is always better to do that.

if the seller sends a payment request to the wrong account by mistake, nothing with happen. at most, some random loser will pay him the money for no reason. but more likely, he can just cancel the request.

but if the buyer sends money to a wrong address by accident, and whoever on the other side accepts, the transfer closes, and the buyer is screwed.
 
also, depending on where you buy from, you may not have to pay the Paypal fees. for talkbass, it's a rule that the buyer pays the fees. luckily the guy i dealt with was kind enough to refund me that amount after i accidentally paid it.

speaking of talkbass, can anyone with a supporting membership help me post a want ad for a Lakland JO tortoise shell pickguard?:mrgreen:
 
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